Trans Am TA2 class now boasts pony cars from three makes

When the Trans Am Series introduced the TA2 class over four years ago, the vision was to create a high-performance class that emphasizes driver talent in the three quintessential American icons: the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger.

With the final addition of the Dodge Challenger last weekend at Mid-Ohio, all three iconic pony cars now call Trans Am's TA2 class home, and the battle for bragging rights appears set to head to the next level.

"TA2 has always been focused on adding another level to Trans Am," said John Clagett, President of The Trans Am Race Company. "There's no doubting the power and performance of the TA class; it has stood on the forefront of what a GT platform is capable of for decades. Our goal in TA2 was to resurrect what made American Auto Racing great – real rivalries between the big three pony cars. Their resurgence is already well documented in the US automarket; now in Trans Am we're doing our part in bringing that resurgence back into racing as well, with cars that look like what we drive on the road every day with corresponding powertrains."

While TA2's growth has surged as of late, 24 entries were featured in the Mid-Ohio race, Trans Am remains confident of, and committed to, the two pillars of TA2 competition – cost control and competition.

"TA2 has all the building blocks of being a true driver's showcase," continued Clagett. "Every car is essentially built on what is the same chassis with the same power output – from different engines. The burden of performance then falls on two key elements, drivers and crews, the way it should be. Now, it's up to drivers to perform and crews to get the setup right, essentially focusing the platform on talent instead of sheer injections of cash."

The competitiveness within the TA2 class was also showcased at Mid-Ohio on multiple occasions. Lawrence Loshak, driving the No. 42 Archer Racing/Race-keeper/Team TK Chevrolet Camaro took the pole position on his Trans Am debut.

"The chemistry between driver and car was unbelievable," said Loshak. "Before this weekend everyone was telling me, 'oh the cars are terrible, the brakes are terrible,' so I came in thinking this might be rough. But it's been completely the opposite, the cars are a blast, there's tons of grip and everyone is dealing with the same platform. It's great to be driver versus driver and crew versus crew, with setup obviously being essential, but I came in wanting to try TA2 out, and to end up on pole . . . I already know what I'm doing next season."

In turn, when the race was concluded, all three models were featured in the top ten, and the top 11 finishers all hailed from 11 different teams. The more established Mustang and Camaro effectively split the top five, with 3 for the Ford Mustang and two for the Camaro, with the No. 44 Engineered Components Chevrolet Camaro of Adam Andretti taking the top spot.

"I believe some people were concerned with, or at least questioned, what the vested interest of a manufacturer means to TA2," said Clagett. "Dodge and SRT assisted in developing an engine package (which is available to all), much in the same way Katech did with the original LS3 for the Camaros in TA2; they gave input on the body design, and in the end, did what would affect their performance the most: went out and got two incredibly talented drivers in Cameron Lawrence and Tommy Kendall. Going forward, we're confident that the true competitive spirit of TA2 will remain intact, but it's obvious that having manufacturers involved and taking an interest in TA2 helps position us for growth in popularity, partnerships and the overall quality of our show."

The Trans Am Series Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers do battle next at Brainerd International Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 31.